What is love?
by Kneecapeon Mace
Summary: The pain of not knowing has torn a hole through the Guardian's heart but he dares not tell Julie how he feels, but now Julie herself feels the same. Can the two admit love without knowing how to start?
1. Aware

In the dark of night, deep in the thick woods, he waited. Watching everything that moved, breathed, or had any signature of life, which of coarse was everything. This was his life. Forever. Weather he wanted it or not.

But something about tonight felt wrong. Not necessarily wrong but a little off. Maybe it was the fact he had blown off his friends because of his duty, or that he had been awake for three days straight, standing like this, still and focused. Or maybe…_ Julie-su,_ the Guardian thought painfully, remembering the very small contact the two had shared over the last five years._ Ever since the kiss… Julie, where has your heart gone?_

**Julie: Log 471**

**Location: Apartment**

_It's night now, and I guess I should be going to bed, but like always can't sleep. Go figure. I hope I don't. No sleep, no dream. No handsome Guardian finding me and wrapping me in his warm arms…or no memories of my childhood. No memories of my kind mother taking me down a hall, just talking._

_Seems like they should be dreams any ordinary girl would enjoy. They're torturing me. The worst are with Knuckles. Him and that smile. Him and that perfect angelic face. Him and that warm buzz in my chest…_

The young legionnaire paused for a second feeling the soft warmth flooding her body at the thought of _him._

_And there it goes again! Lucky me. Trapped by pathetic feelings. Why can't things go back to the way they were? Back when we would fight without holding back or we could be alone without feeling awkward. Oh well, too late I guess._

_Till tomorrow, this Julie logging out…_

Julie stared at what she had written. Thinking it over, then she shrugged and shut off the computer at the corner of her cheap apartment room. It wasn't much of a home but at least it was better than her bunk in the Dark legion. At least here she was alone. All alone with silence where she could cry for no other reason than to feel something.

As she crawled into bed, the thought of tomorrow's events ran through her head. She would have to train again with Chaotix but more importantly with Knuckles._ Don't hold back, Guardian…_


	2. Fight night!

"S-so wh-what are w-we gonna le-learn t-to-today?" A small, young yellow squirrel questioned from where he sat atop a branch in the clearing of thick forest trees.

Whenever he was excited, shocked or scared his stuttering always interrupted his speech. Today was a lucky day of excitement because today was one rare day where the Guardian and the ex-legionnaire would fight and in fighting he would learn, laugh and, enjoy life for the limited rare beauty it is.

"Well, Ray," the large crocodile turned to look up at his friend, a smile curling at his lips revealing his large teeth, "You're gonna learn how to dodge!" with that the croc jumped and snapped his jaws just inches from the one called Ray's ankles.

Ray rolled back off the branch, fainting with fear, as the large reptile thudded to the ground laughing.

"Vector!" a loud feminine voice shouted from the trees, halting the crocodile's laughter.

The one named Vector stood then looking down at pink echidna who was clearly mad at him,"Hey, Julie. Uhh…How long have you been here?"

Her jaw tightened as she shoved passed him, "Long enough to see you mess with Ray."

As she shook Ray to wake him up Vector began laughing nervously, "Hey I was only joking."

_Joking my…_ her thoughts were cut off by an almost annoying buzz in her chest.

"Well lets all get started." The Guardian spoke clearly out into the bright clearing.

Julie looked up at him. To his left was his best friend, a purple chameleon, Espio, and to his right a red and black armadillo, Mighty, also his best friend. The two on his sides didn't throw her off or start her heavy breathing. It was the one in the middle, the one glowing in the sunlight, with his bright white crest shining, his crimson fur lightly moving in the small breeze, the way his prefect face hadn't changed from her dreams…_Hold it, girl._

_Quit staring at him. God you look an idiot. Quit it, quit it. You haven't looked down yet. Come on. Force. Body. To. Move. _Her conscience barked order after order as her body refused to follow the commands. Suddenly as he looked at her she turned her face away so fast her neck ached.

_So this is the girl that has been chosen for me,_ the Guardian thought watching Julie help Ray to his feet, _the girl who won't even look at me? But I sure can look at her. For a while anyway but that's all I'm ever going to get. Gezz she's so beautiful, so smart, so…not mine._

Knuckles shook his head to rid the thoughts and dreams that crept into his head. Surprisingly he actually had no dream last night. Well no dream that he didn't expect.

_Oh Julie, what have I done? What did I not do? Do you not understand the silence you give is killing me!_

"Hey Knux, you okay?" Mighty joked, nudging the Guardian playfully after noticing what he was staring at.

"Yeah, just perfect." Knuckles mumbled back, keeping Julie-su in his sights, "Perfect."

"Well!" vector clapped to gain everyone's attention, "Let's get to it then."

He pointed a hand towards Julie, "In this corner at 84 marks high and weighing 7.3 stone. With a hot-headed, fast-responding, metal-dragging traitor…"

Julie grinded her teeth, "Vector!"

"We have Julia-suzanne!" Vector finally shouted, surrounded by the applause of only Ray, "And in this corner, he's fire-red, short tempered, Guardian of the entire Floating Island…"

_Sure, you only say my weight…Thanks Vec,_ Julie thought angrily as the large crocodile rambled on and on. Her thoughts drifted from his voice back to several years ago. Back when she was completely alone. Back when she didn't have to worry about friends, family, love, or even the fear of sleeping, just because she would dream of the Guardian. _What I could have done with him. What we could have done._

"And let the fight begin!"

In an instant, she ripped from her thoughts and took a fighting stance. She reached for her pistol as the Guardian stood tall and proud before her._ Come on fight. Show me what you got, Guardian…_

"_Hey Julie." Knuckles pulled the crying legionnaire into his lap, stroking the tears that rolled down her tan muzzle, "Julie its okay. I'm here. I'll always be here."_

_Julie buried her head into the soft silken fur of his chest, finally believing him as he held her trembling soul and body._

"_I promise. I'm never going to hurt you Julie. Never."_

"Come on Julie! Hit him!" Mighty shouted through cupped hands to amplify the sound, "Get 'em good!"

_I don't want to hurt you, Julie._ "Come on, Jules. Show me whatcha got." _Pride gets in the way and you better let it!_ A little voice called in the back of his head.

Finally waited out, Julie took a full run at him, drawing a sharp left hook to his grinned-filled muzzle. He was thrown of balance for a second but recovered with a short back-flip ending it with a crouch stance in which he used to kick Julie's feet from under her. The two stood quickly but shortly after a blaster shoot fired between the two.

"What the hell?", The Guardian stammered backing from the shot, searching for it's firer.

"Awww, now it's a party boys!" Vector shouted as the small group was soon surrounded by several Dark legionnaires.

"Friends of yours, maybe?" Espio asked rhetorically towards Julie.

Every member of the Chaotix backed into a tight circle waiting to make a move.

"I suggest we take out the gunmen first. Deal with melee later." Julie pointed her pistol at each gunman, "Ready. Set. Go!"

The team took off, pouncing on the enemy, knocking as many guns away as they could even as the unarmed fought on their backs. Dropping another Legionnaire, Knuckles heard a painful scream from behind, only it wasn't male…


End file.
